Overview of California

Overview

If it weren’t a U.S. state, California would be one of the world’s top economies. Beyond the socio-cultural myth it once embodied—and still does in some ways—from the 1960s, California is also home to one of the largest concentrations of high-end companies in the world, particularly in tech and communications, across various regions, the most famous being Silicon Valley, south of San Francisco. It’s also the most populous U.S. state, with a large Hispanic minority, meaning Spanish is spoken just as widely as English in many areas.

Key Facts

• Location: on the Pacific coast, just above Mexico.

• Code: CA

• Entry into the Union: 1850 (31st).

• Local time: Heure : 3556. California is on "Pacific Time."

• Capital: Sacramento.

• Main cities: Fresno, Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose...

• Population: 39,145,000 inhabitants (2015).

• Area: 423,970 km².

• Density: 92 inhabitants/km².

• Highest point: Mount Whitney (4,421 m).

• Lowest point: Badwater Basin in Death Valley (-85 m).

• Coastline: around 5,000 km.

Tourism

Like New York, tourism is a major industry for California, as roughly one in four foreign tourists visiting the U.S. passes through or visits the state. Each year, around 20 million visitors spend between $110 and $120 billion, supporting nearly a million jobs. Among them, Mexicans are by far the largest group (over a third of entries), followed by Canadians (10%), Chinese (7%), British (4.5%), and Japanese (4%). Additionally, around a million Americans from other states come to explore the region.

Travel Essentials

• By air: France-Los Angeles or San Francisco for 500 € to 1,000 € round trip.

• Backpacker daily budget: $80 to $120 per person (for two).

• Best for accommodation: camping and/or motels.

• Best for getting around: car, or as a last resort, bus/train along the coast.

• Risks: very low health risks and low to locally moderate security risks.

• Best time for climate/crowds/prices: the shoulder seasons, from late March to mid-June or mid-September to early November.

• Interests (out of ★★★★): Nature ★★★★; Adventure ★★★; Culture ★★★/★★★★; Relaxation/Holidays ★★/★★★.

• Website: http://www.visitcalifornia.fr